All things new!

From Isaiah 43:

"Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise."



I was sitting behind the driver's seat in my friend Liz's car a few years ago as a number of us were heading to the shopping center to run some errands. We were on the highway for only a short distance before we had to take the off ramp to reach our destination. I remember that it was a beautiful day with very bright colors and rejuvenating sunshine. These things come easily to mind when you come face-to-face with your own death. Every detail of life is magnified too greatly for description.

We hit the green light at the bottom of the off ramp and began to make our left turn towards (the now out of business) Mervyn's. I craned my head to the side to watch the turn when I saw an extended cab large bed, black, Dodge pickup hurtling right towards me in the back seat of the tiny red Honda. My first thought was, "Lord, it's time to come home" but by providence, Liz saw the truck at the last moment and with a shrill scream mashed down the accelerator. That's when I heard the breaks squealing from the truck as smoke jumped away from its quickly balding tires. The driver missed our car by perhaps a foot. It was not my time to cross the proverbial Jordan into the promised land and I remember feeling a sense of disappointment. My soul wanted to make that journey so that I could finally see Christ face-to-face.

The promises of God are not fulfilled for me on this earth. God is preparing a house for me in Heaven as we await the day when He will come again and make all things new. I may spend 70 or 80 years here, but the rest of my life will be spent in eternity with my Savior.

This all brings me to the book of Hebrews where it is written, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, [our forerunner] has entered on our behalf." It was important for me to realize that there is not simply one nautical term in this verse. We have the word "anchor" which is synonymous with Christ who is our Rock because we are secured in Him and the word "Prodromos," or forerunner. An anchor is an amazing and necessary instrument for ships because when they drop it, it secures itself to the bottom not by its own weight, but through the movement of the ship as it is pushed across the face of the water, causing the anchor to bite deep into the sea bed. I will discuss the Prodromos later.

For Scriptural application we can look at that which is shaken (like a ship on the water). God says in Hebrews, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."

Though like a boat we may be shaken and buffeted and pushed across the sea, we have an anchor that bites more deeply in such times into the immovable foundation of God. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

The second nautical term is "forerunner." Greece, in the time of Paul, had many boats with small drafts called "Prodomoi" that were utilized in harbors with shallow water during low tide. Prodromos is the singular usage of the word which, when translated, means forerunner. They had an important use for when a boat would not be able to gain entrance into the harbor at low tide a Prodromos would leave the harbor and meet up with it. Its purpose was to haul the boat's anchor (attached to a chain of course) past the breakers and sandbars, thus depositing it in the safety of the harbor. When high tide came, the boat would have a berth within the harbor to stay in.

Amazingly, Christ our anchor is also the Prodromos that deposits our anchor firmly upon the promise of God that can never be broken or shaken. That deposit is in Heaven's harbor and not of this world. When the tide rises, those whose anchors are grounded on the Lord will find safety in His harbor under the shelter of His wings. Those who have not trusted upon the Lord will have no anchor to cement them to the love of God and will be overwhelmed by the judgment waters. One day, when false foundations are destroyed by the shaking of God's judgment, we will be born again to witness the glory of God and the renewing of His creation. Behold, He makes all things new!!!